It is known, in drive devices for light-emitting components, to use light detectors, for example monitor photodiodes, which measure the light power of the light-emitting component. The measured light power is compared with a desired light power in a regulating device. Depending on the difference between these light power values, a regulation signal that regulates the light power of the light-emitting component is generated in such a way that the deviation between the desired light power and the measured light power becomes minimal. In particular, the setting of a bias current through the light-emitting component is effected in this way.
The use of light detectors is disadvantageously associated with costs for the provision of the detectors and their integration into the drive device. Moreover, light detectors often have inherent measurement errors. By way of example, so-called “monitor tracking errors” arise in monitor photodiodes integrated in laser diodes. These “monitor tracking errors” are based on temperature-dependent inaccuracies or measurement errors of the monitor diode, which should actually correctly measure the coupled-in optical power of the laser diode.